By Ed Twedt
It was John Wesley who once famously wrote, “Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can.” At first glance this statement seems like a mere truism, but it has much more depth than a quick look can uncover.
First, Wesley tells us what to do: do good. He tells us how much good to do: all the good you can. He tells us how to do good: in all the ways you can. He tells us to whom to do good: to all the souls you can. He tells us where to do good: in every place you can. He tells us when to do good: at all the times you can. He tells us with what kind of energy we should do good: with all the zeal you can. Finally he tells us how long we should do good: as long as ever you can.
So, Wesley takes this simple Biblical concept of doing good, aims it squarely at each of us, and expands it to cover all the bases so to speak. When God calls us to do good, this call is all-encompassing, and extends throughout the entirety of our lives. In effect Wesley pulls together almost everything that can be said about doing good in the Biblical sense, and lays it right at our feet. God’s call to do good is a full time call to each one of us. It is like Woodland’s commitment to the idea of “every member a minister” because the ministry of doing good is a personal ministry for each one of us. How much good will you do today?